Ohio Senate Energy Committee - 5-19-2026

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Mr. Chairman? Thank you, Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Amendment 2368-1.

Requires that carbon dioxide injection fee distributed to local governments to first be credited to the Carbon Capture Administrative Fund for disbursement to those local government by the Chief of Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, rather than having the fee move, have the money to be credited to any state fund. This corrects an incorrect reference to UIC Class 6 permits.

Mr. Chairman, I move that we favorably report substitute House Bill 170 to the Committee on Rules and Reference.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we adopt Substitute Senate Bill 294-2889-3.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This was crafted and accomplishes a few minor changes. Firstly, this bill removes the explicit exclusion of advanced nuclear energy technology from the definition of affordable energy source. Additional changes also include changing capacity factor from a flat minimum capacity factor of 50 percent to a site combined minimum capacity factor of 50 percent, adding the word primary before infrastructure in the definition, and changing the dispatchability language from dispatchable at all times to capable of being dispatchable at all times in times of need. changing from all cases involving an application for a utility facility certificate to pursuant to any application for certification, removing the nuclear energy carve-out from the domestic production priority, expanding the foreign adversary nation provision to also include those subject to the provisions of 19 United States Code 1307, Adding a new stand-alone policy goal requiring use of Ohioan and American-built infrastructure and components. Adding a non-alteration clause clarifying the bill does not change criteria or timelines for the Ohio Power Siting Board applications as amended by House Bill 15 of the 136th General Assembly.

It a good bill I promise Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Vice Chair Landis, Ranking Member Smith, and members of the committee. thank you for the opportunity to provide sponsored testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 20, which urges Congress to enact meaningful reforms to the federal permitting process for energy infrastructure projects. Ohio's economy depends on affordable, reliable, and secure energy. From manufacturing and agriculture to small businesses and growing technology sectors, Access to dependable energy infrastructure is critical to maintaining our state's competitiveness and supporting continued economic growth. Unfortunately, the current federal permitting and environmental review system has become excessively burdensome and inefficient. Major infrastructure projects, including pipelines, transmission lines, generation facilities, and critical mineral development often faced years of delays due to overlapping regulations, duplicative reviews, and prolonged litigation. These delays increase costs for consumers and businesses, discourage investment, and threaten the ability of our nation's energy grid. The resolution recognizes that environmental stewardship and infrastructure development are not mutually exclusive goals. The United States already produces energy on some of the highest environmental and labor standards in the world. When domestic projects are unnecessarily delayed or blocked, we often become more reliant on foreign nations that do not share those same standards or interest. At the same time, electricity demand is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Ohio and the nation will need expanded transmission capacity, modernized infrastructure, and a diverse portfolio of energy resources to meet growing demand while maintaining reliability and affordability. Importantly, Ohio has already demonstrated that permitting reform can be accomplished reasonably and effectively. Through the work done on House Bill 15, Ohio took meaningful steps to modernize and improve the state's energy siting and permitting process through reforms to the Ohio Power Siting Board. Those reforms show that government can maintain strong standards while also creating a more efficient and predictable process for critical infrastructure projects If Ohio can take meaningful action to improve permitting and infrastructure development at the state level, Congress should be able to do the same at the federal level. This resolution urges Congress to pursue reforms that streamline permitting timelines, improve coordination among federal agencies, increase accountability in the review process, and reduce unnecessary barriers to infrastructure development. Importantly, these reforms should preserve legitimate environmental protections while ensuring projects are reviewed efficiently and fairly. The resolution also emphasizes the importance of allowing the development of a broad range of energy resources and technologies necessary to support a modern and resilient energy system. Ultimately, this is about ensuring the United States, and Ohio in particular, can continue to build the infrastructure necessary to support economic growth, job creation, national security, and energy reliability. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on this resolution, and I would do my best to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator Wilkin. In your testimony, you allude to that you want this resolution to kind of, I'm going to sort of put words in your mouth, but be welcoming to a variety of energy generation sources. Would you describe this resolution as having an all-of-the-above energy strategy?

Any other questions? Seeing none, thank you for your testimony. I will offer myself to do this again for those that missed, if they would like a personal.

With no further business before the committee, we are hereby adjourned.